By Paul Nowell
While many of
their peers were sitting in air-conditioned classrooms during the first summer
session, some UNC Charlotte students were literally getting their hands dirty
while making some important discoveries about Mecklenburg County’s past.
Led by UNC
Charlotte Anthropology Professor Janet Levy and Alan May, curator of anthropology at Gaston County’s Schiele
Museum, the students battled ticks, poison ivy (and enjoyed spring
sunshine and fresh air) as they unearthed artifacts from the site of the
historic Holly Bend house, which was built between 1795 and 1800 in the
northwest corner of the county.
(In the photo, Alan May confers with a UNC Charlotte during the springtime dig.)
The class began on May 21 and ended
on June 14 and the students worked in the field from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday
through Friday. The purpose was to conduct basic
exploratory work to provide information for the planned development of the
site, which was purchased for $6.6 million by the county.
The dig is the latest example of an ongoing collaboration
dating back more than 25 years, between the university and the Gastonia museum.
According to Levy, the project provides students with a hands-on experience in
the field. In turn, the museum benefits by having the opportunity to
collaborate with faculty experts on a local project.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the
Holly Bend house was built by Robert Davidson, son of John Davidson of
Revolutionary War fame. It was once center of a 2,800-acre plantation and is an
example of Federal Neoclassicism style.
The county plans to restore the house in partnership with
local preservation groups and eventually open it for public tours and events.
For now, it provides an educational experience for students who are interested
in the past.
The work is difficult and very
meticulous. During one day’s work in early June, the students used shovels and
trowels to search through 2-meter-square grids for fragments of pottery,
bottles and other items. When something of interest was located, its precise
location was documented.
While some students were busy
digging, others were taking buckets of dirt and sifting the soil through a
screen to pick out anything noteworthy. Some early discoveries included
fragments of Pearl ware, which dates to the time of the construction of
Holly Bend.
“Getting out in the field and
breaking a sweat doing this sort of work is not that bad,” said Doug Sanders,
23, a senior applied anthropology major from Raleigh, wiping a bead of sweat
from his brow. “I would absolutely enjoy it if I could turn this into my
career.”
Read more about UNC Charlotte’s work
with the Schiele Museum in the Q3 edition of UNC Charlotte magazine; it will be
available in late August.
Paul Nowell is media relations manager in UNC Charlotte's Office of Public Relations.
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